To Save His Insanity
by hunchbak
Summary: The Mad Hatter is losing his madness. Obviously, it is a reason to panic! Imagine, Wonderland without the Hatter's muchiness! It's for Alice and her friends to restore madness to this mad-man.
1. Not A Mad Morning

Today was different.

His chest thudding like a hummingbird's heart usually woke him up. Or it would be Tweedledum and Tweedledee creating a racket early in the morn. Sometimes it would be nightmares or at times he himself would fall off his bed.

All in all, something unusual always happened that would put him out of sleep, welcoming him to yet another amazing day.

But today was different. In other words, he woke up just like that. Without any extraordinary initiation. For one moment he was lying there as a corpse-like, motionless figure and the next he was wide awake. He wondered if it were the sound of birds, or Chess, the grinning cat who'd have waked him up.

Nothing; just silence.

"What a queer way to wake up," wondered the Hatter, "Peacefully."

He sat up on his bed and looked around his room. Smiling satisfyingly, he noted that everything was perfect. But soon he knew he was wrong, dreadfully.

His smile turned into a frown of disgust as he stood up suddenly in shock.

"Holy Playing Cards!" he exclaimed, "Everything in here is as it should be." He ran around in his small room which was perfectly square. "That isn't right! And when I say it isn't right it is indelibly wrong. It can't be done!" he squealed.

His one thirty-one hats were neatly arranged on the stand beside the fire-place. The wardrobe usually is half or fully open, with clothes of all kinds and color flowing out like water. But today it was closed shut.

"No…no no no! This is terrible!" gaped the Hatter, "That wardrobe has never been closed shut so peacefully from the time it got here!"

Slowly the Mad Hatter started walking towards his wardrobe, breathing heavily. His panic had begun to grow slowly like a raging storm. Something wasn't right.

He was very sure of one thing. Whatever or whoever had played this dirty prank was hiding inside his wardrobe, waiting to jump out at him. The Mad Hatter couldn't think of anyone who'd want to do this to him. He was such a nice person, and mad. But his madness never hurt anyone. He had to find out who this was.

Clasping his left hand lightly on the door of the closet, he inched another step forward towards the wardrobe. He grabbed his walking stick in the other hand.

In one swift moment he opened the cupboard and gave out a slight shriek. He didn't find anyone inside. The prank was indeed disgusting.

But what he found was even worse.

All his clothes were neatly folded and arranged. His coats of seven colors hung efficiently above while his shoes were stacked gracefully in the bottom. The inside of his wardrobe looked like a well-planned wall, the bricks aligned neatly with cement. Totally preposterous.

His eyes had widened due to fear and confusion, his hands had begun to shake and cold sweat dripped from his brow.

With the same swiftness he closed his wardrobe and turned around. There was a mirror right ahead of him. He quickly ran ahead and shrieked again. He shattered the mirror to pieces and sank down to the floor.

"Oh, dear heavens filled with knights! This is terrible. This day, if anything, is perfect. Perfect and wrong," he whispered in between short breaths. "Alice! Alice…that's whom I need. "

Truly, only Alice could help him from having this perfect day. The Mad Hatter wasn't good at handling normal situation. He was bizarre, rare and a freak and that's how he preferred his life to be.

* * *

**A/N: This would be the first time I've attempted fantasy and humor. Although there wont be much in this chapter, in particular. So what do you think? Do I go ahead with this? Please review. :) **


	2. Anything but Crazy!

Alice looked at the Hatter, closely. She along with the dorm mouse and the Tweedle Brothers were inside the Hatter's shack. They heard him wailing inside his shoe shaped smug shack just when they had arrived outside for tea.

"So what is wrong, again?" she asked, trying not to giggle. She didn't seem to understand the fuss.

"Absolutely nothing!" wailed the Hatter. He had begun to sob and had emptied three rolls of blotting leaf. He coughed a little in the middle before resuming with the sobs.

"How is that a bad thing?" Alice protested.

"Oh no, it is a bad thing!" alleged Tweedledum.

"Oh, yes. Oh, yes. It's bad indeed," followed Tweedledee.

The Dorm Mouse stood at the back of the room next to the mirror, grimly. With his head down, he looked like a fallen hero anticipating his next move to become a legend. It was all a very dramatic setting. Alice again stifled a giggle.

"Alice! Don't you realize? Take a look around you," started the Hatter again, "This place is in order! It never was so anti-chaotic!"

"Positively non-chaotic," Tweedledum said.

"Always in chaos! Exactly," piped Tweedledee.

"Actually," assumed Alice, "I've never been in here before. Must say, you've got a beautiful place here, Hatter."

Hearing this, the Hatter flung his hands into the air. It was too much for him to take. Truly, Alice had never entered his shoe-shaped smug shack before. But that doesn't mean she could take everything he says to be a fib.

"What is wrong with you, Alice!" wailed the Hatter again, "Have you lost your muchiness? Have you?"

"Yeah, Alice," said Tweedledum, "Have you?"

"I think you have, Alice," Tweedledee said, "Have you?"

The Hatter had suddenly stopped sobbing and along with the Tweedle brothers stared hard at Alice.

"Guys!" Alice shot out, "Nothing is wrong with me! I'm just having a hard time believing Hatter. I mean, he's been mad for so long…maybe…maybe his body got tired of being that mundane for so long."

"That's a theory," said a Tweedle brother while the other said, "Definitely, true."

"That's blatantly outrageous," countered Hatter.

"Prove it to me then, Hatter."

"Alright…What is that that grows bigger when you take more from it, although filled with nothing?"

Alice thought for a moment.

"Oh, dear God! I know the answer to it!" she screamed with terror, "You've never asked me something so twisted yet so easy!"

"Precisely," Hatter said, little calmly.

"What's the answer?" piped the Tweedle two together.

The Hatter ignored the two jug-heads and continued, "I have more proof. Have you noticed my hair?"

Alice looked up at Hatter's hair and her jaw dropped. Indeed, the matter at hand was serious. Hatter's hair which usually was a bright and flaming orange had started to pale. The ends had begun to grow as dark as the raven.

She now realized the reason behind the shattered mirror.

She looked next to Hatter's eyes. "Oh dear Almighty! Hatter, this is terrible. Your eyes! They have starting to grow green. And your tears…they…they have an orange tinge. Hatter, colors are escaping out of your face. I dare say, you're becoming yourself again."

"Now, she sees! Very good," said the Hatter.

"Yes, yes, she saw the problem," Tweedledum said.

"What is the problem? And the answer to it?" Tweedledee confusingly added.

"Alice…," sobbed the Hatter, "I don't like this at all. You got to help me. Please, I cannot live like this in regularity. It is too _normal_"

Alice nodded shortly. She went forward and gave the Hatter a hug.

He whispered to her, "The Mad Hatter wants to be mad again! I want to laugh at the street each time it twists. I want to feel the wind rise and fill my ear…so that it reminds me of the sea. Now all I hear are the birds chirping. Ludicrous!"

"We'll do all we can to make you mad again, Hatter. I promise," soothingly said Alice.

They huddled around and started to think for three and a half-minute which was very long time in wonderland. The dorm mouse was still at the back, brooding.

The Hatter, with the little madness left in him, picked his walking stick and poked the Dorm Mouse in the ribs. The poor mouse lost his balance and fell sideways like an uprooted tree. He only realized what had happened when he was well on the floor.

"Hey watch it, crazy face!" shouted the Mouse.

Alice protested, "Dorm Mouse! You mustn't fall asleep when you're here to help someone! That's very rude!"

"I wasn't sleeping, girl!" backed the Mouse, "Was following every word of the conversation until that riddle came up."

"Gee, dorm mouse," Alice said, "You look tired. Are you doing alright?"

"Haven't had a wink of sleep for the last two nights," said the Mouse robustly, "Something awful is happening in wonderland. The White Queen is suffering from white spots on her index finger since yesterday. Not just her, many such instances like the one happened to not-so-mad-Hatter are doing rounds."

"Maybe they're all related," excitedly said Tweedledum.

"Yes, yes! Everything must have a common root!" said his brother.

"Thank you for connecting the dots, pig brothers," said the Hatter, rolling his eyes.

Alice shook her head with a troubled expression. She stood up and walked up to the only window in the shoe shaped smug shack. It was a triangle window with a frame that looked like orange jelly. Looking outside she exhaled a long breath.

"If Wonderland is in trouble, then it's my duty to help it get rid of it. Even if it takes all of my muchiness to do so!" said Alice determinedly.

* * *

**A/N: All this madness is indeed grueling. Please review it and let me know. It cannot suck too much, can it? :) **


	3. The Cat Brings News!

A whip-like crack filled the room. Alice hurriedly turned around, breaking from her reverie. It clearly indicated the arrival of a very queer creäture that she loved.

"Chess!" shouted the mouse, "Won't you ever stop doing that?"  
"Yes, that is indeed horrifying!" said Tweedledum.  
Tweedledee followed, "Horrifying, indeed."

Alice said, "Can't you just knock first?…or," she thought for a while, "Float in through the window? That would be convenient. You scared the wits out of me."

The Cheshire cat just grinned from end to end in reply. Like the way only he was capable of.

The Hatter shook his head and lay down on his bed, staring at the dark roof. His eyes were torn open and he made a slight bobbing motion with his head. Alice shifted his attention to him.

She asked, "Would you care to explain, Hatter, what you're up to?"

Chess immediately enveloped his smile close and said, "Oh, that's what he always does when he wants to crack himself up!"

"Pardon me, Chess," she begged.

The Hatter spoke, "You will not understand this, Alice. Every time I stare hard at the ceiling, my eyes pop out. Nothing else in the realm amuses me more than that. And now…nothing. I can't even smile or force a grin…Fills me with so much sadness."

Chess walked slowly near the Hatter and gave out a slight purr. "Don't worry, great Hatter. I have found the solution to your problem."

Alice widened her eyes in amazement. The Tweedle brothers laughed and jumped around. The Dorm Mouse said, "You have found the solution? That's incredible!"

"Oh, yes I have found the solution," continued the Cheshire cat, "But we must undertake a quest to help Hatter here. Also it could be dangerous."

Tweedledum said, "Anything to save Hatter from sanity!"

"Yes, anything at all!" agreed Tweedledee.

The cat grinned again. Alice wondered what a cat could be so joyous about. Maybe he saw a future that she couldn't. Perhaps something great was supposed to happen.

He said to the Hatter, "Would you mind if I look at your tea-cups, Hatter?"

"Whatever you feel best, Cat," replied the Hatter, nonchalantly. He was still intently looking up.

With that said, Chess disappeared with yet another loud crack. Everyone in the shack jumped simultaneously. The dorm mouse spat angrily. The Tweedle brothers still smiled.

"I wonder what he's examining the tea cups for," spoke Alice.

"Maybe, he is checking the handle for cracks," said Tweedledee.

"Or perhaps, he's checking the bottom for holes," held the brother.

"Or maybe the cat's just thirsty and wasting our time!" said the Mouse.

And with another loud crack, the cat was back. The smile was still on and he was on his all fours. His tail twitched slowly in the back.

"Surprisingly, as I suspected. Hatter, your tea has no mercury in it!"

"Uh…so?" shouted back the Hatter, almost rudely. His voice was deepening.

"So, my friend, the mercury is what causes your madness. Now all we need to do is bring it back in your tea."

"Incredibly easy!" shouted both the Tweedle two. It was Alice's turn to shake her head. The Tweedle two were more stupid than a puddle of muck.

"My point, how do we do it?" Dorm Mouse asked.

Everyone looked at the cat for an answer who just looked back them grinning. There was silence. Nobody intended to break it. It just hung there like heavy mist. Perfectly still; a photograph.

The Hatter sat up suddenly. His hair had settled down and had gone completely dark. His skin was less pale now. "We need to find it f-fast…I am becoming what I was. This calls for an adventure…a quest."

Finally the cat moved ahead. Now, everyone was sure that he had to say something.

"And, I'm afraid, the adventure involves a visit to Blackbeard's residence."

Just like that, the excitement in the room dropped. The Tweedle brothers stood hazed with shock staring at each others' faces. Their jaws had dropped.

"Oh, dear no!" said the Dorm Mouse. "Not the Blackbeard residence."

As if the ground had cracked like a nut, the room started to panic. A hatter started rambling, praying to be mad again. Alice looked around confusingly. The Tweedle brothers ran a full circle and finally bumped into each other. The dorm mouse continued to shout. A perfectly wild house.

"Who's black beard? Sound's like a jolly good sailor to me," screamed Alice, "Please tell me!" The commotion stopped and everyone's eyes were again on her.

* * *

**If you're wondering who Blackbeard is, like Alice, then you have the benefit of Googling it. Amazing twist of events follow. The Hatter is on the verge of normalcy! And what is the answer to the riddle? **

**Please review. Thanks :) **


	4. Oh captain, My captain!

They had started towards Blackbeard's home. The sun had almost set and the wind rose, making the atmosphere chilly. The Tweedle brothers hummed instead of shivering which Alice found to be rather queer. Chess floated effortlessly with the Dorm Mouse in the lead. The Hatter just walked quietly besides Alice.

Besides the sing song hum of the two brothers, they walked in silence. Alice hugged herself, the temperature only kept dropping.

"Are you alright, Alice?" asked the Hatter in his new deep voice. Alice nodded and turned crimson. The absence of mercury had done him good, she thought. Not just his voice and other physical features had changed but also his mannerisms.

The Hatter had turned from a self-indulgent, loony clown to a highly respectable gentleman. He had stopped wailing and there were no signs of tears. He had curtly opened the door to Alice when they had left his shack.

In spite of Alice's reply, the Hatter removed his gray coat and placed it on her shoulders. She smiled gratefully before blushing again. He, however, took no notice of it.

Alice spoke up, "So Blackbeard is a sailor who got married too many times?"

The Dorm Mouse nodded, "Too many times."

"Is that why you are frightened of him?" she countered.

"Oh, no. What sort of an assumption is that?" replied the Dorm Mouse.

"I really would like an explanation. It's too chilly for me to get your gist, Dorm Mouse."

The Hatter, in his soothing deep voice replied, "Alice, Blackbeard got married two hundred and twenty seven times. And almost thirty days and half later his wife disappears. Nobody in Underland know where they go."

"Cannot somebody just ask?" Alice asked.

The Dorm Mouse shook his head, "Blackbeard is a phenomenon that can be seen but not felt. Many have tried to confront him but it's only impossible."

"Not a jolly good sailor," Alice concluded dismally.

"Oh, he is a sailor, Alice," Hatter said.

Alice shrugged from beneath the coat. She said, "So where are we going now?"

The Dorm Mouse explained that they were going to the mansion of Blackbeard. It was thirty days since he had last married and they had only half a day from saving the woman named Maurice Flycatcher. He believed that only this woman can know the answer to their questions and direct them to the mercury.

The street they were treading on kept twisting at every turn and turning at every twist. They lost track of time and direction. The path was lined with long tress with crooked boughs that cast eerie shadows on them.

A shiver ran down Alice's spine. She had bumped into the Tweedle brothers who had stopped dead on their tracks.

Before them stood a magnificent purple manor covered with white polka dots. The manor was surrounded with neat trimmed grass and there stood life-like hedge animals placed randomly around the location. The fence was high with broken glass shards sprinkled like sugar over the top.

The Mad Hatter wistfully looked at the place. He would give away his entire wardrobe to stay in a place this extravagant. He however expressed no feeling about this; he was too matured now.

"Well," slithered the cat, "Here we are."

"This is Blackbeard's manor?" said Alice aloud.

"How can a man with such a dwelling be so evil?" said Tweedledee.

Tweedledum added, "Maybe he sells teddy bears for a living." Everybody stopped staring at the manor and turned their gaze to Tweedledum. "Why it would be very queer for a man to sell Teddy Bear!" exclaimed Dorm Mouse.

"We should go inside, right?" Alice said.

They nodded. The Hatter whispered, "Yes, we should."

They slowly made their way inside pushing the creaking gate open slightly. The racket created was loud enough to scare at least four scores of crows away to safety. The grass crinkled under their feet. The cat now floated behind them as they clibmed the threshold.

They pulled the doorbell besides the life-sized mahogany door which also was purple with white polka dots. The bell rang aloud and they could hear quick footsteps heading towards the other side of the door.

There was a pause. Alice could feel that she was being watched.

Slowly, the heavy door swung open. Inside, stood a petite lady wearing a brown tattered gown. There were dark shadows under her eyes with confused expressions.

"I _do not_ want whatever a queer group such as you might want to sell. Just go away." Her hair was tied in a tight bun above her fair which made her face look like a pale tea-cup.

"We are not here to sell anything, Ma'am," whispered the Hatter.

"Look, Mister Weird Hat," continued the lady hurriedly, "I love your politeness but there is something that needs my attention urgently. So please… _go away!"_

Chess floated inside and twirled around the lady's head and said, "Madam…all we need are some answers! I have heard that you know it all and that's why Blackbeard accepted your petite hand in marriage." By the time Chess finished saying this he had went thrice around her head.

Blackbeard's wife finally took a breath. "Alright. But you have to explain your case while we walk. I have some answers to find myself!"

They entered a long dimly lit corridor.

The lady turned around and walked, "My name is Maurice Flywalker. I know everything."

She suddenly stopped and looked around, "Wait, What are your names?"

They introduced themselves before resuming their walk on the long corridor. Alice, a little out of breath from all the physical exertion, asked, "Maurice, what are you on the hunt for?"

A flight of stairs stood at the end of the hall which spiraled off into two directions. By the time they had started to climb the stairs they heard loud knocking behind them. The group stopped suddenly.

"Oh no!" yelped Maurice. "It's Blackbeard! He's back early!" she looked around confused again. The group looked at her, intimidated. The Dorm Mouse started to say something before Maurice cut him off and pointed to the Tweedle Brothers, "Quick! You two, go receive Blackbeard and keep him engaged!"

"What?" said both brothers, "Why us?"

The woman bent down, narrowed her eye brows and said, "Because I said so, boys!"

The Tweedle brothers jumped and started hurried towards the door. "Now," said Maurice, satisfyingly, "To look what's in that room."

"What room?" asked the Mouse.

"Well, the room my husband has forbidden me to enter in."

"Why has he forbidden you from entering that room?" he asked again.

"I have wondered the same. And now it's time to find out."

Alice piped in, "Oh, Good Lord! It could be that the secret of Blackbeard's other wives whereabouts could be in that room!"

Maurice smiled, "You're a smart little girl. But Blackbeard mustn't find out. It is imperative that we are out before it's too late."

They nodded. Alice and her friends had excitedly come on to the brink yet another adventure and this one looked more dangerous than ever.

* * *

**What do you think could be inside? What course could this adventure take and will Alice and her gang come back alive?**

**Please review. Thanks:) **


	5. Inside The Secret Room!

Alice had begun to sweat. The pressure was rising and she was aware that their lives could be in danger.

The surroundings didn't help either.

It was dark and cold, like a cellar. She thought she could smell wine, but wasn't very sure. They stood before the door of the forbidden room. The room held secrets that could perhaps change their lives. Perhaps Alice would leave the room as an entirely different person. Maybe she would leave the room with indelible memories that would leave her scarred.

Or maybe, she would never leave the room alive.

Maurice Flycatcher pulled out a tiny purse from under her gown. The Dorm Mouse stared.

Chess whispered, "Strange…"

"What is that, cat?" asked the Hatter robustly.

"The door before me is cursed. I cannot pass through it."

Blackbeard's wife smirked to herself, "Of course you cannot enter! It is protected by an ancient spell. It can only be opened by this very key."

And she held up the silliest looking key Alice had ever seen. It was brass metal shaped like a pine tree with a handle on the outside. But once you see it closely you could observe something oozing out of the pine needles with a little hissing sound. Slowly, the key was changing shape.

Alice shouted, "Madam! The key is melting! Open the door quickly!"

Maurice smirked again, "Oh don't worry young girl. This is a shape changing metal. A very smart move by my hubby, you see. All we need to do is wait until it changes into the shape of the key hole."

"How long would that take?" asked the Proud Hatter.

She turned to him and uttered, "Weeks… months sometimes. But I'm prepared. I waited for the right moment. After studying this damned keyhole for weeks I have found out that this key will change to the right shape in," she pulls out her watch which is strapped to her waist and continues, "Three minutes."

"So we just wait?" asked the Hatter a little rudely.

"If you're frantic for your answers, I reckon, yeah," said Maurice, equally rude.

Hatter stared at her angrily. Alice sighed. She wondered what the Tweedle brothers would be up to. They did not deserve this and both hated adventures. She prayed that they'd be fine.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the ground level, the Tweedle Brothers stared up at Blackbeard.

He wasn't anything close to being normal. A bull-like face, with hair spiraling downward along the sides like a mane of shiny snakes. His tall figure cast the whole hallway in darkness as his nostrils flared with some unknown rage. He wore a bulky black hat with three skulls stitched in white on the front. His hands were the size of saucepans which clenched and unclenched methodically. His face raided by vicious scars and cuts. Three of them that ran right through his lips and were bleeding.

With pure wrath, his bare chest heaved as he slowly took a well measured step towards them. The ground trembled with his every step.

"Why is he so angry, Dee?"

"I have no idea, Dum. He's very angry, indeed."

"Indeed, indeed."

Tweedledee inched behind out of fear. He prayed that Alice would hurry and rescue them. He definitely didn't like the position that insolent Maurice woman had put them in.

From behind him, Tweedledum let out a long breath and took a step forward.

"Dum! What on Wonderland do you think you are doing?" asked Tweedledee frightfully.

Tweedledum took no notice and looked up at Blackbeard's gory face and said, "Hey y-you! Why t-the ang-anger? We come in p-peace!"

Blackbeard stopped. He twisted his head sideways and looked at both the egg brothers closely. Slowly he stood up straight, turning the room even darker.

Both the Tweedle brothers huddled together, shivering with terror. They could smell Blackbeard all over them who was at least five times as big as them put together.

The monsterous man shook his head and moved some hair away from his face and said, "Who are you little tiny creatures and what do you seek?"

"M-my name, umm, is Tw-tweedledum."

"An-and I'm Tweedledee."

Blackbeard shook his head again and boomed, "Maurice! Where are you?"

The Tweedle brothers shook with fear and realized they had to do something to stop this man from getting to Alice and the others.

"Um-umm…we're friends of your wife! Ma-mu-rice," said Dee.

"Ma-mu-rice? Who is that?" asked Blackbeard, confused.

He thought to himself while the other two stared at him tongue tied. Slowly, Blackbeards expressions shifted from annoyance to plain amusement. And before the Tweedle brothers could gasp with shock, Blackbeard gave out a horrifying laugh. A laugh that would shake the bones out you, full of mirth only to the devil. The whole floor shook again and even the little light his frame gave out shivered in the background.

"You two are very very amusing," said he. One more laugh and he stopped. Asked again, "Who is ma-mu-rice?"

"That, sir, is your wife," said Dee lowly.

Blackbeard raised his furry eyebrows so high that they disappeared in his twisted hair like Jack's beanstalk.

"Very amusing, indeed," continues Blackbeard, "But I'm sure, you two taste very good, too! Aye?"

"What?" gasped both the brothers, "Oh no sir! We taste awful. Very much. We, we taste like salted muck. Very very awful."

They looked at him again with a disdained look. Whatever was coming did not look promising.

"Liars!" boomed the giant's voice across the hall way. Like a distressed fiend, Blackbeard cornered Tweedledee and Tweedledum at the wall on the left. He got three good whiffs of them before standing back again.

Blackbeard smacked his lips. They smelt good.

"I'll make you a deal," he said, while stressing on the 'deal' with a long smile, "We shall play a game of riddles! That should be _entertaining!"_

Tweedledee said, "Oh no, sir. That doesn't sound…appealing. Would you like to have some tea instead?"

Blackbeard closed his eyes and shook his head with malevolent frustration. In a low, death-like whispered, "Ask me your first riddle, muck faces! Or else I eat you, right now."

The two brothers looked at each other like disoriented chickens. They hated riddles and had an hard time remembering the question let alone the solution. How can someone get out of this.

Dee said to Dum, "What do we do?"

"Good one! Let's ask him that," replied Dum, wide-mouthed.

They glanced at him nervously and looked back again, "Won't help us, Dum. We need to ask Mister Gargoyle something that would confuse him."

"You're right," replied the other one, "Something that will give us enough time. I think I remember something!"

"Do you think it would give Alice and the others enough time to escape?"

Dum nodded. They turned to Blackbeard and asked, "Alright, sir. Are you ready?"

"Ready as a sailing ship to fight battles!"

Dum wiped a sweat from his brow and spoke, "What is that that grows bigger although filled with nothing?"

* * *

The time had come. Alice and the others were finally ready to enter the big room of secrets. The key had changed into the shape of a dead peacock. Perfect time to find some answers.

Maurice inserted the key into the door and clicked thrice on the left and half a time on the right. With a slight crack, the door opened.

Silver light poured out of the room. It had turned warm and Maurice threw the door open wide.

They entered the room. The cat purred, "I don't like the aura of this room."

The Hatter snapped, "Of course you don't!"

The room was perfectly square. The walls were full of small silver cabinets with a handle each. There weren't any windows and the silver light seemed to be irradiating from the center of the room.

On a raised white pedestal was the source of the silver light; a gray telephone.

"What a queer setting for a room," said the Dorm Mouse.

Maurice nodded. Chess hovered over the telephone while the Hatter and Alice walked towards the cabinets.

It was getting hotter. Alice said, "Well, should we open one of them?"

"I guess," said Chess.

"Which one do I open? They all look the same," said Maurice.

They all huddled closed to her and she clasped a handle of one of the silver cabinets. She tugged at it and smoothly came out a white coffin. Inside was a lady as young as Maurice. Red hair, carefully combed and pale face; looked as if she were asleep.

Maurice let go of the coffin and fell back down on the floor. "Oh no…This isn't right!"

The dorm mouse rounded is mouth in horror. Hatter shook his head in disgust and Alice gasped. Chess just lingered over the phone. Hatter walked to the other side and pulled another cabinet, revealing yet another woman's body. The room was full of bodies. Dead women.

Blackbeard's past wives were all dead. Murdered rather.

There was silence that hung like a heavy blanket. No one said anything. Maurice stared ahead with numbed shock. It was getting warmer, they were sweating for real. The room now felt like a white furnace.

And just like that, the telephone rang. Clear as a bell, it reverberated in the whole room.

Hatter walked over to the telephone and lifter the receiver, "Hallo!"

Everyone stared at him, waiting to say something. But a loud voice came through the telephone, "Did you check on the kids?"

"I'm sorry, what kids?" asked the Hatter.

The call went blank. No response, disconnected.

"That rude bastard!" swore the Hatter.

"Who would call us here," Alice asked Maurice. She just shook her head in response.

And again the telephone rang. Hatter spoke, "Halo there!"

"Did you check on the kid, or what?" asked the caller, loud and distinct.

"I do not know any kids that I feel obliged to take care off. Miss Flycatcher, do you have any kids? Na? did you hear that-"

The call went kaput again.

Hatter stared at the receiver with pure disgust as if it was the cause for all of the sadness on the universe.

Dorm Mouse walked ahead and said, "We must act fast and leave this place. Where is Chess?"

Alice looked around; Chess was nowhere to be found. Hatter was still staring at the phone. And then, the phone erupted in blue fumes!

Hatter threw the receiver to the phone muttering a significant "Ahh!"

The blue fumes turned into Chess. The cat hissed, "We must indeed hurry! The caller calls us from this very building. There is, although, nobody on the other end of the line."

Everyone, except Maurice, nodded and Alice picked her off from the floor. They stared towards the door. But before Hatter could open the door, it opened itself revealing the most twisted figure watching standing at the threshold.

Blackbeard did not look very pleased.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry for updating so late. Please review! :) **


	6. Against Silence

She could feel the boldering silence.

Dark and musty, Alice sat naked. She held her eyes closed, for the last thing those eyes had looked at were the malevolent features of the Blackbeard.

A cool breeze whisked past her, numbing her skin even further. Alice was propped up against something hard and twisted.

Could she dare to open her eyes? Or would reality clasp down on her, plummeting her sanity to the underworld?

Silence cupped her down, ringing in her ears. Slowly, the silence grew louder almost like an intolerable symphony, and Alice tried to scream.

She had to break the silence. But how could she? After all, Alice was too afraid to open her eyes and face it.

Nothing but deafening silence, and darkness. Complementing each other like the sun and the moon.

In the self-inflicted blindness, Alice began to breathe hard. The silence was so loud that Alice could not hear herself thinking. She couldn't feel the structure that supported her weight behind her.

It was as if, Alice sat all alone in a blackened void, filled with crushing silence.

Another silent breeze grazed on her cold nude body. Her skin reacted attentively, prickling slowly into goose-flesh; As if a tired yet ruthless army had been alerted of an airstrike.

She could hear something. But she was weary. Wary because she had enough of this adventure.

_Open…_

The Mad Hatter would have to continue all alone.

_You are not alone!_

The Tweedle brothers will understand.

_If only you would listen._

The dorm mouse will not.

_OPEN YOUR EYES YOUNG LADY! _ screamed a tiny voice.

Alice, in one striking movement opened her eyes wide almost popping the balls out of her sockets.

She was shivering and was against an old gnarled tree. It was dark, indeed. Dark enough to scare the daylights out of anyone.

Alice tried to figure out where from the voice came. She looked around, as confused as a rabbit in the presence of a predator. She wrapped her hands around herself, covering in sweet shyness, as she decided to explore this fearful void.

She spoke, "Who called out? Come forth!"

Another breeze ran down her spine.

_I cannot be seen! I'm the wind._

Alice stood there, confused again, with her mouth shaped into a muddled "Oh!" If the wind could speak, why the other elements can't, she wondered.

And the voice around her said, _'Cause the other elements are cursed. Damned to be silent and hence they scream with raging and terrorizing silence, hoping to speak again._

She was shocked. The wind could hear her thoughts.

She thought again, "Say, Mr. Wind. Where am I and why possibly I'm here naked?"

_Young lady, you stand here in the ancient land of Niort! And it's an ancient tradition to be true to your origin when you enter. It is impossible to enter this land with your worldly processions. _

"Ah! That makes sense," supposed she, "And how may I get out? I cannot see a thing."

_All you have to do is find the path of self-awakening young woman. You're on your own. But don't you worry. I can blow away the darkness to show you some light._

With that said, Alice shivered wildly as the wind around her danced invisibly around her. Like a dark haze, the dimness cleared and now the void was filled with a silent gloom.

Alice was inside a forest full of twisted trees; shaking like a wild storm-stricken tree.

The ground beneath her was of dark grass that did not hurt her feet and the sky was mostly incoherent. The ancient curse that the wind had spoken of was indeed a very awkward sight.

Birds flew but never chirped. Leaves rustled but quietly. Barks broke, fruits fell, and small animals went about their business all in a troubling hush. The wind must have easily slipped away from the curse, thought Alice.

No voice was heard again of the wind, he was gone, like they always do.

She walked around the mostly deserted forest hoping to find someone to converse with. There were none, just tress and a few muted living beings. Alice passed a couple of trees and tried to figure out the meaning behind the wind's words.

"How do I self-awaken myself….unless…." and only upon thinking hard, she shouted, "Unless I'm dreaming!"

The shout had scared three squirrels who had never heard even the sound of low nibbling in their entire furry life. Dazed, the trio passed out.

Alice looked around and found yet another comfy tree to lean upon. Her jaws chattered due to the raw coldness.

She tried exactly three times to sleep but in vain. Alice knew that the longer she hangs back in Niort the less time Hatter and the others have.

Perhaps, the others were dead.

* * *

Back in Wonderland, Hatter and the others were imprisoned. Right before them lay the body of Late Mrs. Flycatcher. Blackbeard would be soon coming back for more.

* * *

**a/n: Well, Alice is stuck in a dreamland. And Mrs. Know-it-all is dead. Where do you see this story spiraling off to? **

**This particular chapter wasn't supposed to happen partly because I lost it multiple times over computer hangups. But it made the last cut because I intended to add something simple just to cool off the drama. **

**Thanks for your reviews. James Birdsong, I frankly think you should get an account here and start writing. You seem to be very passionate about fanfics to me. :) **


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